Harbor Commission endorses bike traffic on Hoan Bridge

The Milwaukee Board of Harbor Commissioners sided with cycling advocates on Thursday and endorsed bike and pedestrian traffic on the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge.

The unanimous vote in favor of a supportive resolution came just a week after Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke called a bike lane on the Hoan "the dumbest idea I ever heard." Clarke made his comments while discussing the death of Bobby E. Jiles, 39, who was hit by a car while tending to his disabled vehicle in a southbound traffic lane. The collision knocked Jiles off the bridge.

Since then, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and local law enforcement worked to improve safety for traffic on the bridge, which has limited room for vehicles due to ongoing repair work.

The Harbor Commission oversees the Port of Milwaukee, directly under the Hoan, and serves as the landlord for the city's property extending from the Coast Guard station in Bay View to the Henry Maier Festival Grounds and Veteran's Park.

The resolution in support of a bike accommodation includes a caveat: that the access for bikers and pedestrians can be provided safely.

Whether that can be accomplished is being studied the consulting firm Graef-USA, under a $100,000 contract with the DOT. The engineering firm was hired to analyze alternative approaches to accommodating bike and pedestrians on the bridge, and to determine the safety and cost.

The study is part of a larger engineering project leading to the reconstruction of the bridge in 2013. That project is estimated to cost $275 million to $350 million.

The report on the bike lane feasibility is expected to be released later this year, after a review by department staff.

Bikers ride over the Hoan during the UPAF Miller Lite Ride for the Arts.

Commissioner Craig Mastantuono, a local attorney, moved for approval of the resolution.

"Commercial transit like that generated around Port activity and commuter and recreational transit like that on a bike/ped way need not be in competition with each other," Mastantuono said. "The Port of Milwaukee supports WisDOT's study on how to move this issue forward, and create a safe, non-motorized traffic alternative over the inner Harbor tract."

"We support studying ideas before criticizing or ruling them out, particularly when complex engineering issues are involved."

Dozens of cyclists argued in favor of a bike and pedestrian lane at a public hearing in August, continuing a drive that started shortly after the iconic bridge opened in the late 1970s. Bicyclists and pedestrians have been prohibited from traversing the bridge for decades, and the DOT and state officials have been firm in their opposition to opening it to non-motorized vehicles.

The push for a bike lane gained momentum earlier this year, when the DOT agreed to allow the UPAF Ride for the Arts and the Summerfest Rock 'n Sole runs to utilize the span.

On Wednesday, Kevin Hardman, the executive director of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, published a commentary calling the bridge a vital link connecting a 163-mile path for cyclists along Lake Michigan.

"The impact of a nearly continuous trail system between Chicago to Door County would be huge," Hardman wrote. "Wisconsin is already leaps and bounds ahead of Pure Michigan in terms of trails that connect the communities along the lake."

Oh goody goody! My fruitcake liberal friends are willing to satisfy my self centered wants by spending millions of dollars of other people's money on a short sighted project that will be thoroughly enjoyed once or twice by me and a few of my lefty pals! I can't wait!

You see deaths ahead because you are posting on something you know nothing about. The way the bike path would be designed would not make it dangerous for bikers and would certainly make it safer than biking along 1st or 2nd street instead.

Notice how easy it was for a semi to go over you're little jersey barrier and fence you all want.... and the 2nd one, look at the damage to the wall... somebody biking right there is a severe injury.... if they don't get jettisoned over the side.

Ok, I just don't get it. There are a ton of different options for a bike route along this bridge: Segregated bike lane, semi-segregated bike lane, on-street bike lane, bike/bus lane, etc. that there must be SOMETHING that will satisfy the "omfg, people are going to be killed out there" crowd. This what they have on the 59th bridge in NYC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9laUiweAo4

Fully separated with steel beams from the rest of traffic, and it's popular enough that thousands of people take it every day. There has to be *some* type of bike route that satisfies the safety crowd...

Irresponsible and stupid. The idiocy of this is simply amazing! There is no need to make part of a freeway system available to bikers. People who ride bikes are every bit as annoying as runners when it comes to their ideas of entitlement. Streets and expressways are made for motorized vehicles, parks and special paths are made for pedestrians and bikers. If this lunacy prevails I will demand to be able to drive my car on the Oak Leaf trail and other routes currently designed for non-motorized traffic. I wish proponents of this idiotic idea would just get a life...before they lose one over the bridge!

This has got to be a joke. The thousands of people please how about the hundred of thousand vehicles that use this 12 months out of the year. How much would it cost? How often would it be used a couple months out of the year? Its a death trapwaiting to happen. You know how windy it is on that bridge wake up 1/2 ton vehicles are affected by the wind. Try driving a motorcycle over it on a windy day you bike freaks. Go ahead build it it will weed out the bike population death or serious injury is the likely result.

Just biked the GG in San Francisco this morning. Granted today is a rare weather day on the Bay as sunny, warm (but breezy). Businesses have popped up supporting the pedestrian/bike walkway as promoted as a half day (or full day) excursion. Bike one way and take ferry back is one of the options. Not suggesting that Milwaukee and the Hoan has quite the same draw as this national icon but you work with what you have. Do this trail right and segregate completely from traffic by hanging off side. No jersey barriers or you will create something out of a gulag. The Hoan is a gap tooth in a beautiful smile that is Milwaukee's lakefront. Build this trail. Promote this trail. The return will be well worth the investment.

What is the rise of the GG bridge?Nowhere near the couple hundred of the Hoan?But people would want to ride across the Hoan because it's such a world famous landmark though, right? Plus, the weather in Milwaukee is ALWAYS good for biking and well worth the millions that it would cost. It's not like the loss of a lane of traffic would have any effect on traffic flow since the bridge isn't used by anyone and just goes to Jones Island after all.

I beleive that the Hoan is less than a 3% grade and is less rise than the hill on Lincoln Mem Dr heading north to UWM, which people bike and walk everyday. Most parks, Bradford Beach, and county golf courses arent used all winter, but WE have no problem spending millions on them

Pondo--The Hoan rise is very doable even for casual riders,Wasn't suggesting that the Hoan is world famous and said as such in my post. The weather in the SF Bay is oftentimes cold, damp and foggy so even with winter conditions the actual number of pleasant biking days in MKE might even be higher than SF. No need to lose a traffic lane(s) as you can hang a bike/ped lane off the lake side. The Hoan goes to the south lake suburbs and thousands use it daily. One can always come up for a reason not to do something and unfortunately Milwaukee has more than its fair share of naysayers.

I am not sure about this, but I have my own reasons for having both the Bay Street and the Hoan Bridge bike lanes. They go to very different parts of town. The Hoan would let you continue on the Oak Leaf trail along the lake on both the north and south ends of the bridge. Bay Street connects to KK and First St, allowing commuters who might work at the Allen Bradley or in offices/plants on the west side of the river.

I think the people who are against this (including the sheriff) don't fully realize what we're talking about. I think the opponents see a "bike lane" as just adding an extra white stripe on the pavement and separating the bikes from the traffic similar to how it's done on city streets - with no barrier between cars and bikes. Based on what I've seen in other cities and what I've heard being discussed in Milwaukee, that is WAY off the mark. This "bike lane" would rather be isolated from the traffic via a reinforced safety rail, or even completely removed from traffic via a separate marsupial bridge or cantilevered bridge off the side of the main structure.I'm extremely disappointed in the Sheriff for opposing this idea when he is not fully aware of all the facts.

And to those who think the grade is too much – apparently you've never biked in the Kettle Moraine or in San Francisco or in Seattle or Boulder or any other area with hills. This grade is laughable when compared to true inclines that exist for bikers.

Additionally, having more bike options in this city is always a great thing and will continue to make Wisconsin and Milwaukee a biking destination. As someone who lives in Bay View and works downtown, I can guarantee that this option would be used very often and be popular year round. I know many people who bike 12 months of the year, and as long as this is maintained properly, it will be used all year long.

Good points and from my perspective the critical point for use would be a complete and separate lane as you have suggested cantilevered off the lake side. A jersey barrier with chain link fencing is worse than nothing as will become a litter catch along with spray and the inevitable dings that will make it appear very unappealing except to the most dedicated, hardcore cyclist.

Who will pay for this? Bike riders? Yea right. You guys don't even pay for registering your bikes, we can't expect you to actually be responsible for paying for a part of your own way.

So once again, car, truck and cycle owners will be hit with another tax to benefit a couple dozen hardcore bike riders. So let's see the actual money we're talking about. I'm thinking to cover the lane costs, Milwaukee County drivers will be looking at around $25.00 per car, per year. We will need new on ramps, special covers so you won't get blown off the bridge, special plows to clear your lanes, etc. What a total scam.

Put the bike lane on the east side of the bridge and seperate it from traffic with jersery barrier and a fence. For safe access to the bridge, they need to put a path on the east side. That way you can have on/off ramps across from the Lake Express ferry and on Harbor Drive near the bus gate for Summerfest. There would be no need deal with any cross traffic and it would link directly up with the Oak Leaf.

and while they are building the bike trail accross the bridge why not add a trolly line to it with bike racks on the front so if you don't want tobike back you can hang you bike on the rack and ride back over the harbor commission yea a great bunch of thinkers there they approved the waste land fill that sits in the harbor and adding to the polution of the harbor just one of their fails as part of Milwaukee government all it takes is grease to get anything from the city apply liberals amounts and it just slides through no matter what

I am an avid bike rider, I'd say I ride 3 to 5 times per week (weather permitting!) anywhere from 5 to 40 miles per trip, sometimes more. I own 3 bikes, a touring bike, a mountain bike and a racing bike, so I think you can see that I'm into this bike stuff pretty heavily and I totally agree with the sheriff, this idea is just plain DUMB!

Sure, if they waste more of our precious tax dollars on this project, I'm sure I'll ride it at some point, but riding across the Hoan Bridge, fighting all of the wind, breathing the exhaust from the cars, doesn't sound like much fun to me! This is coming from someone who loves taking on a challenging course, but the Hoan Bridge is not one of them.

Now, if I'm not looking forward to it, who else will want to use it? Can you picture a family, mom, dad and the 3 kiddies on their new bikes from Wal-Mart riding across the Hoan Bridge? Are you kidding me?!!! After they are totally exhausted from the long climb, they can deal with the winds near the top. Then the kids will be crying, they need to stop. Yet, there's nowhere to stop, because your on the the top of the damn Hoan Bridge!

This is a useless joke that no one will use once they figure out what an awful ride it will be!

I respect your perspective but would disagree. These types of projects have been successful on any number of bridges around the world. Are the fumes from traffic on the Hoan somehow different or more severe than say on KK? Since everyone says it's so windy i would think that the fumes would dissipate quicker than a surface street.